Triple Chocolate Trifle With Raspberries

Comfort in Layers of Chocolate
By MELISSA CLARK
MY parents love to tell the story of me and the bowl of schlag (whipped cream) at Demel coffeehouse in Vienna. I was a toddler, the tale goes, held in my mother’s arms in front of the pastry counter, when I pitched myself forward, diving into a bowl of said schlag. I made it up to my wrists before being caught, but after licking the white fluff from my fingers, I apparently spent the rest of the day ecstatic.
I can’t say I remember it. Though, given my predilection for anything creamy, it seems likely that it happened. And it might explain why giant bowls of whipped cream — preferably hiding a layer of rich pudding underneath — still make me weak in the knees.
Of the multitude of possibilities involving pudding topped with whipped cream, the queen of them all is trifle. With its layers of cake, sherry, custard and whipped cream, trifle is more than just pudding. It’s a grand dessert, a celebration unto itself in a cut crystal bowl. A genuine crowd-pleaser, it can be assembled days in advance, making it an ideal dessert for a holiday party. More
Recipe: Triple Chocolate Trifle With Raspberries
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